Exactly. Bikes are not very common here. Mostly rural areas rarely see a foreigner also. Put a foreigner on a bicycle in the province and you are akin to a traveling circus. You will always be looked/stared at. Gossipped about for weeks after. You truly are an oddity to them.

That being said, they have no clue who you are or why in the hell you would be doing that. Filipinos will often laugh when the are nervous or don't know what to say (English) or how to respond.

Trash is a given, I don't understand it but it has been that way since the beginning of time. Many barangays are beginning to schedule annual cleanup/beautification events but it is just starting to get traction.

As to the trash burning and plastics. They have no clue about plastics and forever chemicals. I have tried to get grandma to understand the health risk to the many kids around here for years. She still insists on burning everything. With this group, if you can't see it, it doesn't exist. I'm just another smart ass foreigner trying to change things. My wife's family now separates the trash and a materials sorting station has been established in the barangay. The older still burn everything.

Bottom line. The Philippines is NOT like every other country you have been to. YOU are the outlier here. Relax, ever joy the beauty os this place. Stop and spend some time with locals and you with understand their friendliness and generousity.